I just polished my stainless steel hob with olive oil...

[Flingmoo]

...so shiny! That is all I have to say.

I do this too! Only way to get rid of streaks. I had a cleaning company round to quote once though and they advised against it as it's flammable- I still do it though

I thought it's flammable too - then I thought, firstly its such a thin coating and secondly, surely a lot of cleaning sprays etc would also be flammable at the same temperature olive oil would ignite at?

Baby Oil is just as good and not flammable (I hope!)

I use baby oil too, as recommended by the guy who sold us the kitchen. I wipe the hob with usual cleaning fluid, and dry it off, then dab baby oil around it and wipe it with kitchen towel....dazzling!

I actually use baby oil too just never read your post properly doh!

you can polish up stainless without oil, by rubbing it with an old vest a barely damp cotton cloth. The trick is to rub away all the water without leaving watermarks, like leathering a car. Clean off any existing marks with a nylon pan scourer and half a drop of WUL, rubbing in the direction of the brushing and not in circles. Avoid acid descalers on stainless as they may leave tarnish marks.

Or save up for a water softener.

I want a shiny sink without too much effort - will this help?

Fussy - yes it will!

Here's what I do:

1. Get some cheap bicarb in a large packet, drop a tablespoon onto the stainless steel sink and mix it with distilled vinegar. Wipe the mixture all over it. It will fizz like crazy. Leave for a minute or so but don't let it dry. Wipe off with a clean cloth (you'll need to rinse a couple of times).
2. Go over the sink with lemon juice to get rid of any residual bicarb mixture. You can skip this step, but it really makes it cleaner. Dry off with a microfibre cloth.
3. Polish with baby oil.